Portable extensible ladder.



l. E. TROJAN. PORTABLE EXTENSI'BLE LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1917.

11,271,391. Patented July 2', 1918.

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J. E. TROJAN.

PORTABLE EXTENSIBLE LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. I917.

Patented July 2, 1918.

e SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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J. E. TROJAN.

PORTABLE EXTENSIBLE LADDER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. 19w.

1 371,39 1 v a Patented July 2, 1918.

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L E. TROJAN.

PORTABLE E'XTENSIBLE LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 19K].

Patented July 2,1918;

6 SH EETS-SHEET 4- Jake oi Z: 7/ 0/011 f/ima,

J. E. TROJAN.

PORTABLE EXTENSIBLE LADDER.

' APPLICATION men JULY 7, 1917.

1 ,27 1 39 1 Patented July 2, 1918.

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J. E. TROJAN.

PORTABLE EXTENSIBLE LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. 1911.

@714 X/ZW/ Patent ed July 2, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

UNITED s'r TEs PATENTOFFICE-Q JOSEPH nfrnomn, or COLUMBUS, T AS, I

v PORTABLE EXTENSIB E LADDER.

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. TROJAN, a citizen of the United States, residing .at Columbus, in the county of Colorado and State of Texas, have invented new. and useful Improvements in Portable Extensible Ladders, of which the following is aspecification. r p This invention" relates to improvements in portable extensible ladders proposing a const-ruction-which maybe used with advantage for a number of different purposes, prominent among which are'its use by fireinenor :asa fire escape, or as an observation post.

to provide a readily portable ladder which may be quickly. and easily extended to a very considerable height or folded into normal POSitlOIIIWhlCh may be adjusted to any de- ;:Figure;1 isa partial side elevation *ofaa ladder in: which the features of the-invention are incorporated, certain parts being shown in extended relation. v I

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. RFig. 3 is a cross sectional'view on the line3- -3 of Fig. 2. I 1

Fig. 4 is a partial elevation of the sideof the ladder opposite to that shown in Fig. 1 showing the gearing foretfect-in'g the extension or folding of the ladder. i Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal sectional View showing all of the sections of the ladder in their extended relation. I

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of one of the lateral brace arms. r

Fig. 7 is a detail cross sectional View of the ladder sections in their nested relation.

Specification of'Letters Patent. 1;- Application filed .Tu1y7, 1917. Serial No. 179,204..

The principal objects of the invention are at nted July 2, 1918.

8jis a detail sectional view,.on the Ihne 8 8of Fig.4; a y

o :;Fig..9 is a detail sectlonalview on the line I Fig. 10' is a-plan view showingdetails of the operative mechanism for the lateral brace arms.

' Fig. 11 is adetailsectional view ofa spring held pulley.

element employed when the sections lac'lder-arefully extended.

Similar. characters of'reference designate of the corresponding partsthroughout the several.

views. ,Y.

WThe ladder'proper consists of a number, preferably three, of slidablyrelated'sections -1,, 2 and '3 adapted, when in foldedrelzition,

to lie horizontally. -The said sections and their operating appurtenances are mounted on -a wheeled truckzor supporting frame 4:

havingupperv side-rails 5, lower side rails 6,

a base" or. ;flo0r 7' supported between the rails 6, and sundry; vertical bars connectingthe rails .5;and;6 at each side of the truck and transverse bars connecting the rails TThe ladder,,when elevated, is directly sup ported by a pair ofstand'ardsti, one mount- Fig. 12 is aperspective view of a'latch ed on each railo andpivotedor hinged to sections said standards are movable into' an squarely onthe'rails 5. f o.

Thesecti nI is the inner sectionof the said ra'il asatl); ,The standards8 normally I. occupy a; lowered position wherein they proj ect rearward from theirpivotal axes .9 a d a yparallel totheirails 5 butin 7 connection with the extension-of theladder series and isdirectlysupportedbythe standards 8. Said sectionlin turn supports the intermediate section 2 which in, its turn sup ports the outer section 3. Thesection 1 is .p'ivoted, as1at 10,-.to the upper. ends of the standards .8, and the pivots 10 may with position and areiin nested "relatiorr' {In op- For the purpose of moving the sections,

when nested, from a horizontal to a vertical position or vice versa, a framell is mounted end to end of said floor. The frame 11.in-' cludes side bars 12 which operate on supporting rollers 13 located at thesides of the floor 7 in recesses 15. Forthe purpose of guiding the frame -11'bars 16 are mounted on or formed as parts of therails 6 and tongue and groove connections 17 (Fig. 8)

are provided between said bars and the bars 12. The frame 11 is connected to the stand ards 8 by links 18 which are pivoted to said standards as at 18*, (preferably belowthe pivots 10) and to the front ends of the bars 12 and are preferably connected together by ladder rounds 19 to facilitate the mounting of the ladder from a position in the rear thereof. The side bars 12 are formed with rack teeth 20 for cooperation with gearelements to be hereafter described by which the frame 11 is moved in either direction.

The side bars of'theinner section 1 are continued for some distance beyond the standards 8 and are connected to cables 21 which are wound upon drums 22 in connection with the forward movement of the, frame 11. As the ladder comes into its vertical position the lower ends of the side bars-of the section 1 automatically engage in notches 23 of latch arms 24. The latch arms 24 are pivoted to forwardextensions of the-rails 6 and in'order that they may operate in unison are connected a-transverse bar '25 which is preferably located at their front ends and also serves as a weight to insure the normal elevation of their rear ends, pins 27 secured. in vertical bars at the front end of the truck 4 being provided to limit the upward movement of the arms 24. WVhen the ladders are to be returned to their horizontal position, the operator first manipula't'es the arms 24to release the lower ends of the side barsof the 'sectionl, whereupon the ladder is freeto moveback into its normal position. 4

The sections 1, 2 and 3 are sli'dably related and may be fitted to one another in any suit able manner. 4 As shown tongue andgroove connections 28 (Fig."?') are 'provided' be tween the adjacent side bars of the sec tions. After theladder has been moved-into a vertical position-its extension is 1 completed by sliding the sections outward relative to one another. The section 3 is first raised, the section 2 remaining stationary after which the section 2, carrying with it the section is similarly raised, the section 1 remaining stationary throughout the operation of the sections 2 and 3.

The slidable upward movements of the sections 2 and 3 are effected by cables 31 and 32 respectively "and the downward movements of said sections are under the control of said cables whose length is of course sefor lengthwise sliding movement on the fioor' -7 andis movable lIlelthel direction from lected with regard to the maximum distance through which the sections are vertically movable. The cable 31 is secured to the lower round of the section 2 and is trained over a sheave 33 at the upper end of the section 1; In like manner the cable 32 is secured-to the lower round of the section 3 and is trained over a sheave 34 at the upper end of the section 2.

' For the operation and control of the cables 31 and 32 winding drums 35 and 36, preferably located near the rear end of the truck 4, are provided. The cables 31 and 32 pass rearward from the respective drums by said rod. Suitable guides or keepers 41 for the cables 31 and 32 may, as shown, be arranged on the floor 7.

I The drums 35 and 36 are loosely mounted on a transverse supporting rod 42 and are provided 'at their adjacent ends with pinions 43 and 44 respectively and at their remote ends with ratchet wheels 45 for engagement by pawls46, (Figs. 1 and 2).

The gearing for the operation of the frame 11' includes pinions 47 for engagement with the rack teeth 20 of the bars 12, the pinions 47 being fast on a transverse shaft 48 journaled in bearing brackets 49 secured to stationary parts of the machine, conveniently the bars 16 which guide the frame 11. The

4O operative extreme positions ofthe slides 55 erably coiled once about idler sheaves 21 whose supports are stationarily located on the truck 4. 7 2

' The pinions'43, 44 and 51 are each operated by a movably mounted main or driving pinion 53. The pinion 53 is mounted on a transverse main shaft 54 which is rotatable and also slidable in the direction -of'its length, 5.6. transversely, inhorizontal supporting slides 55 which aredisposed and movable longitudinally of the'truck. In order to move the iniom53 transversely a transversely movablelever 56 is provided, said lever at'its lower-end having ayoke 57 which engages in* an annular groovein the shaft 54. I The lever 56 :isflpivoted to a transversesupporting bar 58." a The slides 55 which support the shaft are supported bystationary vertical bars'at the sides of the truck 4 and are movable lengthwise of said truck to shiftthepinion 53 in a longitudinal direction. In order'that the lev'er56 maybe adaptedto such movement'ofthe pinion 53 the bar 58 ismounted to rock about its central "longitudinal axis and is, therefore,' provided with end trunnions" 59 which are; journaled inf bearings formed with or secured to stationary parts at the sides of the frame 4. In order to effect the shifting of the pinion 53 in a direction longitudinal of the truck the rear ends ofthe 'slides55 are loosely pivoted to operating 'arms .60'depending from a transverserock'shaft 61 journaled in stationary vertical bars at the sides of the frame '4. Theshaft '61 has 'a projecting end upon which is mounted an operating lever 62 provided with a conventional locking pawl 63 for cooperation with a segment 64 notched to provide for .two

and an intermediate inoperative or neutral position of said slides; In the retracted 4 3' or 44* and intheadvaneed position of said slides the pinion 53 maybe operatedtolengage the pinion 51. H 2 i Thefshaft 54has'a V is fitted to receive an operating crank 65 7 which said shaft maybe rotatedineither direction. 7 V

In the' operation of: the ladde iflthe' frame 11 is advanced and the cables :21wou'n'd upon 7 the drums 22 to move the nested ladder sections forwardly froma horizontal to an.up right position. v For" such operations of the frame ll andcables '21'the pinion -53' is' en- "gaged with the pinion 51'. ,Thereafter the sections 2a'nd 3 are projected vertically.

' For these-operations the pinion53 i s shifted rearvvfardly and is then positioned to engage and operate the pinion-144 Which,' through the' drum 36 and eable 32, efiects the verti projecting end which I the nesting of the ladder sections and to effecttheir movement, when nested, into hori- Zonta'l position." In restoring the ladder sections to their normal positionthe pinion 53 i's first engaged with'the pinio1r44=to control the'descent of thesection3, then with the pinion'43 to coiitrol-tliedescent 0f the section 2; and then [with the pinion" 51" to effect therearward movement of the frame i 11 and the consequent downward pivotal movement of the nested ladder sections into their normal horizontal position; I

' 1 In fo'rjder'to prevent any accidental falling 'movementof-the ladder sections when, as "nested; they are being moved fromtheir n01 mal-horizontal to their upright positions, the

'pinions 47 which engage the rack teeth 2O are provided 'with ratchets for cooperation withrpawls 66' (Fig; 1) these pawls being i moved into disengaged position toj permit the rearward movement oflthe frame 11 and 'Ethe'unwinding of the cables 21 from the drums 22 for the purpose ofrestoring the nested ladder sectionsto-their normal horizontalpositionsfIn like manner the pawls -46 cooperate with the ratchet wheels'45 to prevent any a'ccidental falling movement of the ladder sections 2 and-3 when they are besaidladder sections; r a

It is obviou's'that by virtue of the pawls 66 theladde'r may be set at any "inclination "between its extreme horizontal and vertical positions and that virtueof the paw-ls 46 the ladder maybe pro'j ected to any desired height. The pawls 66 also render the cables 21' eifective tojs tay or brace the lowerendof' heiladderythe cables in this' function sup- 1 p p 110p p'lementing the" latch arm s"24.

; "The-section 2.'when*ra1sedcarries witlr'it the 'secti'on'3 and during this'fuither upward movement ofthe' section 3its" cable 32-pays outfromthe'drum 36 and heneerotatesfl'said d 111.3 d c ion reverse to that'of its rotationfby thepinion53 to effect the'rai'sing ofr tlie'sectiony 3relatively to the section and 'to' permit such reverse-rotation of tile ing projectedlvertically, and are moved into disengaged'position to permit the descent of drum 36 the pawl46 which controls'the ratchet wheel 4oassociated with'said drum must be disengaged after the ladder section 1 3 "has completed its upward I movement relae' tively to the section 2.

The S o 2 nd=3fwhen fullj'pr 'j cted' are' posi'tively held against downward movement by latch fingers o'i whioh engage iii-re 'ee sse s 68 (Fig.5) formed in the side bars of the respective sections 1 and 2. Th'e latch oted near the upper end'ofthesection by fingers 67 are pivotedto the lower-ends of the side bars of: thesections-2' andr3 and are preferably provided in pairs, the latchffingers of each pairbeing connected by .a transverse bar 69 whereby. .they mayoperateyin uniso r; Each of'the sections 2 and 3 carries forward positions ,and projected, Will, as

means for operating the latchfingers to release the section from its coinpanionisection 1 or 2 asthe case may be. Snchmeans preferably consists of a bell-crank lever- 70? pivwhich it is carried and connectedby a link 71- to one of the latch fingers of said section. The. fully projected relation of the ladder sections'is shown in Fig- 5.= When itisde- A sired to nestsa-id sections the lever 7Q,of the section 3 isoperate'd; to disengage the fingers 67 of the section 3 from the recesses 68 of the section 2 to thereby permit the downward movement of the section 3,'-frelative-to the section 2 and when such downward mOVement has been completed the section 2 1s=s1n11- -larly released from the section 1 and permitted to descend, carrying with it the sectionfi'.

The descent'of the sections-2 and B'takes place by gravity but-is under the control of an operator, stationed on the ground,

through the intermediary ofthe..-gearing which operates the cables 31 and 32.

- In the foregoing description an operation has been set forth according to-wl1ich,?in the proj cot-ion and descent of the ladderi'sections the section 3 is first moved relativelytothe section-2 and the latter, carrying with it the section 3, is thereafter moved'relatively to the section .1. Itwill-beunderstood, however, that if desired, bothiinthe projection and nesting of the ladder sections the section 2 may be first operated, carrying with it the section 3, and that the latter may thereafter :be moved relatively-to the section 2. v

For the purposeof steadying the truck 4 when the ladder sections areprojected said truck is provided with-relatively long wings 72 which are hinged or pivoted at their front ends, as at 73, to the front end of the truck and are movable horizontally. In operation the wings 72 are :moved fromtheir normal positions wherein, they are parallelto the truck to .operative. positions wherein they project laterally from the truck and at right angles thereto. In order that the wingsmay be supported'fromthe ground, each .Wing is provided near its outer end, with a-caster 7 4. The casters 7 4 are so mounted that theymay adapt themselves to irregularities in a the ground,and for this purpose their journal stems 75 are mounted for vertical, play, With-r sections? Accordinglyeach side-bar; 12. of

in suitable limits, in sockets 76 and are urged the {frame ll-is connected; to the adjacent wing by a linkc78; andwhenthe wings are folded, the links 78 lie above and athwart .the'rails 6, thebars .16 being recessedas at 9to accommodate said links.

The ladder sections when in:their. extreme shownin-Fig. 5, be inclined forwardly to a slight extent and means. are provided to steady, or brace said sections in this relation.

For the=sect1on 1 the bracing means comprises guy cables 81 connected-to a cross strip 82arranged at a suitable-elevation on .said section and also connected towinding drums 83-fast on the shaft 48, said cables paying out when said shaft is operated to projectthe framell and being wound on said drums when saidshaftis operated to retract said frame. For the sections 2 and 3 the bracing means comprises guy cables 84:

and 85 respectively connected to said sections at suitable elevations and to respective windingdrums 87 and 88. The. winding drums are mounted in pairs on transverse rods or shafts 89 and areoperated by springs 90 and therefore resist any forward tipping of the-ladder sections it is preferred to provide for thewpositive maintenance of the tension of thecables. For this purpose the drums are providedwith ratchetvwheels 91 (Figs. 1 and 2) for cooperation with pawls 92. The pawls 92are disengaged while the ladder sections are being projected but when said sections are fully projectedthey are engaged with the ratchet wheels 91 to prevent the cables fromryielding consequentto any forwardpull of the ladder sections. When the ladder sections are nested the drums87 and 88,.by virtue .of the springs 90, automatically wind or take up thecables 84 and 85.

It is also. preferred to provide means for bracing the sections 2. and 3 laterally. This means comprises guy cables .93 which, are connected to cross strips 94 arranged at suitable elevationson said sections and to windi-ngdrums 95; (Fig. 6) carried by the wings 72 and arranged near the outer ends ofsaidwings. The drums 95 are operated by springs 96 to wind the cables and are provided ,with. ratchet wheels 97 for cooperation with pawls 98. The=paw1s 98 are disengaged while the wings are moved into their operative position and during the pro jection of theladder sections but when said sections are fully. projected said pawls are engaged to positively prevent: the cables from paying out in consequence of any tendency of the ladder to lean sidewise.

Having fully described my invention, I claim i 1. In a portable ladder combination, a wheeled truck, a ladder mounted on said truck for movement between horizontal and upright positions, wings mounted at the sides of said truck, said wings being normally parallel to said truck and movable to positions wherein they pro'ect laterally from said truck, and means or operating said ladder and said wings in correlation whereby the wings are moved from their normal positions when the ladder is raised and arerestored to their normal positions when the ladder is lowered.

2. In a portable ladder combination, a wheeled truck, a ladder mounted on said truck for movement between horizontal and upright positions, wings mounted at the sides of said truck, said wings being normally parallel to said truck and movable to positions wherein vthey project laterally from said truck, a frame slidable lengthwise of said truck, link connections for op erating said ladder from said frame and other link connections for operating said wings from said frame whereby said wings are moved from their normal positions when the ladder is raised and are restored to their normal positions when the ladder is lowered.

3. In a portable ladder combination, a wheeled truck, a ladder mounted on said truck for movement between horizontal and upright positions, said ladder consistingof slidably related sections, gearing for moving said ladder between its horizontal and upright positions, transversely adjacent gearings having a location in the longitudinal direction of the truck distant from said first named gearing for operating the slidably movable sections, a main gear located intermediate said ladder moving gearing and section operating gearings and mounted for movement longitudinally and transversely of the truck, and means for moving said main gear to efiect its selective engagement with elements of each of sald gearings to operate the same.

4. In a portable ladder combination, a wheeled truck, a ladder mounted on said truck for pivotal movement between horizontal and upright positions, a sliding hori zontal frame movable lengthwise of said truck, links connected to said frame for moving said ladder pivotally between its horizontal and vertical positions, gearing for operating said frame including a transverse'shaft, winding drums mounted on said shaft, and cables for bracing said ladder and connected to said winding drums from which they pay out as the ladder is raised to a vertical position.

5. In a portable ladder combination, a wheeled truck, a ladder mounted at the front thereof for pivotal movement between horizontal and upright positions and consisting of a plurality of slidably related sections, means for extending the ladder comprising a lifting cable connected to the lower end of each slidably movable section and guided over the upper end of the section next below, a winding drum for each lifting cable located near the rear end of the truck, a pawl'and ratchet coacting with each winding drum to prevent the descent of the ladder sections, guide sheaves for the lifting cables located at the front end of the truck and in advance of said ladder, and gearing for selectively operating said winding drums, and gearing located intermedi ate said winding drums and the ladder for eifecting pivotal movement of the ladder in either direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

